The present invention relates to apparatus and method recognizing optical information such as bar codes or characters printed on labels and so on.
In a conventional systems of this kind, laser light from a laser light tube has been projected onto optical information such as bar codes or characters printed on a label and reflected light corresponding to the printed optical information has been converted into electric signals by an optoelectric converter so that the printed optical information may be recognized from the electric signals.
This apparatus, however, is disadvantageous in that frequent maintenance service to the laser light tube must be made. Further, the apparatus is big in size and expensive.
To overcome the above-described disadvantage, it has been suggested by Japanese patent application, laid-open No. 57-166672, to use a flash discharge tube to project flash light onto the printed optical information.
It is, however, difficult to finely adjust the intensity of flash light and hence stability in recognizing the optical printed information is degraded.